#30dayglowup - Day 2
Looking to have an insane glow up to have your best hot girl summer? Check out these must-have products to become your best you...
1. Iconic London Illuminator (£30.00)
This has got to be my favourite highlight - I've had it for months and haven't even made a dent despite using it almost everyday. 'Original' is the perfect colour, albeit a little to bronze for me when I'm at my most pale, and because it's so easy to blend it out it gives a very natural look compared to powder highlighters. A little goes a very long way though so be careful not to go overboard on first application, a tiny drop is enough for both cheeks and my nose for me.
2. Facial razor (£1-5)
These incredibly cheap hair removal tool can make such a major different to your face texture and makeup application. Plus, removing your peach fuzz for the first time is super satisfying and leaves your skin smooth and soft. No, it doesn't make hair grow back darker or thicker, and it doesn't feel stubbly when it goes back in. Just give it a go and you won't look back - especially after you apply makeup for the first time. They're perfect for quick eyebrow touch ups too!
3. Silk/ satin pillowcase (£10 +)
Bit of a wildcard this one, you wouldn't expect your type of pillowcase to have such an effect on your skin and hair. If you think about it though, something you spend about a third of your life with your face or head on may be causing damage without realising. Silk or satin pillowcases have that slippery texture which prevents your hair from getting tangled or knotted when sleeping - people with naturally curly hair have been using soft hair bonnets for years to protect their beautiful curls and prevent unnecessary damage. Keeping a good quality pillowcase clean will have a huge impact on your skin as well by preventing bacteria build up spreading onto your face and clogging your pores.
4. The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane (~ £5.50)
Because of suffering from persistent acne for years before a round of accutane, I unfortunately struggle with leftover pigmentation and pitted scarring that is very difficult to get rid of. If you check out my skincare routine from day 1 of my skincare journey then you'll see what other product combinations I've used to combat my scarring, but for the purpose of this list TO retinol in squalane is one of the main products that I think have had a huge impact. This form of vitamin A can reduce fine lines and the appearance of scarring and give a more youthful overall appearance by increasing the rate of cell turnover.
5. The Ordinary Peeling solution (~ £6)
Now, if you've been on Tik Tok at all this is hardly going to be a revolutionary recommendation - this baby is everywhere. However, there's a reason for that. TO peeling solution has AHA 30% and BHA 2% which, if used correctly, is designed to exfoliate the skin similarly to a professional chemical peel but with less risks. You do have to be careful with this product though - please follow the instructions and use it correctly to not damage your skin. I use it once a week for 10 minutes (I found that twice a week damaged my moisture barrier too much) and in combination with my other skincare products I have seen a big reduction in my pigmentation and an overall more even complexion. See my before and after photos below (From early 2019 with makeup to current with no makeup) for proof of the difference, my skin is still far from perfect now but you can see the reduction in texture:
6. Epilator (~ £75 for this model)
If you haven't tried an epilator on your legs before it really is a game-changer. You go from shaving, which for me was basically everyday, or waxing which can get very expensive, to a one time splurge and only needing to remove hair every 3-4 weeks. My model is the new Braun silk-epil 9 because I managed to get a discount code for it, but I really don't think you need to go that expensive to get the same result. I will say the pain is not fun - if anyone has any recommendations to make it less painful then please let me know!
7. Isle of paradise self tanning drops (£15.95)
For me in summer I like to top up my (non-existent) tan with a gradual tanning body lotion (I like the Dove one), but always leave my face in fear of triggering breakouts. With the makeup trend moving towards a more natural, 'boy beat' look (which I LOVE and will be doing a post about so stay tuned) this tanning issue was just not working for me. I'd either have to wear a more full coverage, darker foundation to match my face to my neck (which doesn't look too cute when it fades) or have a weirdly pale face compared to the rest of my body.
These tanning drops have changed that - they basically allow me to wear the natural makeup style which I love whilst having that summer glow and I would 100% recommend them to anyone. I just mix 3-4 drops in with my moisturiser a couple of times a week and make sure to blend well.
8. Maybelline cream blush (£7.99)
Similarly along the lines of the tanning drops and the Iconic London highlighter, this product is amazing for that rosy cheeks natural look. I find it so easy to blend compared to powder blush, and when I use the two together they actually stay on for the whole day. I find using cream products so easy to use and this applies beautifully to give a semi-matte cheek that blends out with no harsh lines. I would say I could do with it being a bit more pigmented as I have to use quite a bit, but with it being drugstore and less expensive I won't really mind adding a few layers.
9. Resistance band (Mostly < £10)
Slightly more relevant to the fitness and body confidence part of my glow up journey, a resistance band is so versatile and useful in any fitness routine, especially at home during lockdown. When I was able to go to the gym I'd use it as part of my glute activation during warmup, but it was also useful in stretching and in working out other body parts. For anyone interested in getting more into fitness I would highly recommend their own to take to and from the gym or use at home, and they can come pretty cheap if you get them through amazon instead of a branded one.
10. Any Shea Moisture shampoo/ conditioner (~ £10)
Shea Moisture is really the love and life of my hair and if I could afford everything from that brand, I would get it. It is formulated for natural hair which needs more moisture and care than most straight or wavy hair, and because of that the products will actually help your hair and not cause further damage. All of their products are and silicone and sulfate free which, if you don't know, are ingrediants which create a damaging cycle of silicones coating your hair and creating build up and sulfates being the only chemical that can remove them. However, this is a very stripping process and removing both of these products entirely can make such a huge impact on your hair health.
I've avoided these ingrediants for around a year since I had a big chop to shoulder length hair and in combination with other techniques and products (which I will make a post about) my hair has grown ~ 1 inch a month, around double the average hair growth. So if you want beautiful, healthy hair, any Shea Moisture product is going to help you with that journey.
In conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this post as day 2 of my #30dayglowup! For the moment I'm still discussing my past experiences and advice and as this blog progresses I'm going to post my more experimental beauty exploits and venture into the different aspects involved in a personal glow up such a mental health and confidence and body image. These products have definitely helped me along the way and I would recommend them to anyone looking to have their own glow up
Thank you for reading and I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions or requests leave me a comment or message me on any of my social media accounts, and if you want to follow along with my journey feel free to subscribe down below.
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